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Belgian Defense Minister Theo Francken has praised Türkiye as a quietly emerging maritime power, describing a defense industry that is not only domestically producing submarines, corvettes, frigates, destroyers and aircraft carriers, but doing so "quickly, with high quality and competitive prices."
Francken, who is also Belgium's foreign trade minister, made the remarks during a visit to Istanbul's Sedef Shipyard and in interviews with Turkish media, part of a broader economic mission to Türkiye led by Queen Mathilde and described as the largest such delegation in Belgian history, comprising some 400 to 500 entrepreneurs.
"While all eyes are focused on the naval arms race between China and the US, Türkiye is quietly emerging as a maritime power," Francken wrote on the social media platform X. Turkish naval vessels, he added, are "gradually gaining ground on the global market."
Francken's admiration extended well beyond shipbuilding. In an interview with NTV, he described Türkiye as a leader in the technology revolution around armed drones and artificial intelligence-enabled defense systems, and said Belgium had much to learn. "You accomplished this technological revolution," he told his Turkish interlocutors. "You were the pioneers. You were the first."
Belgium, he acknowledged, had historically underinvested in defense, while Türkiye had maintained steady commitment to the sector. "We need to adapt, modernize, integrate artificial intelligence and learn from Türkiye," he said.
The defense minister also signaled openness to procuring Turkish armed drones. He noted that a major Belgian military drone tender is currently underway and said he hoped Turkish firms would participate. Asked directly whether Belgium would buy armed drones from Türkiye, Francken replied: "Hopefully. Absolutely... When it is possible, we will work together with Türkiye, or cooperate on other defense industry technologies."
Francken said 30 agreements were signed in Istanbul, with another 30 planned for Ankara, for a total of 60 new contracts across health, biotechnology, green technology, pharmaceuticals, aviation and logistics. He framed the 500-strong delegation as the largest economic mission Türkiye has ever received from Belgium.
Francken also cited Türkiye's economic trajectory as instructive. The Turkish economy, he noted, had grown rapidly over two decades and had managed to navigate a period of severe inflation. His takeaway: "Hard times require hard measures."
Beyond trade, Francken praised Istanbul as a geopolitical hub, calling it "not only a gateway to Central Asia, but also to the Arab world, including in the media sphere."
Francken was forthright on Türkiye's role in European and NATO security architecture. He said Belgium would not block Türkiye's participation in European security forums, and committed to raising the issue directly in the European Commission, European Council and EU Defense Council.
"Türkiye's presence at the table, Belgium will not be the country opposing it," he said. "We genuinely advocate for Türkiye's security." He noted, pointedly, that not all NATO and European allies share this view, without naming them.
Looking ahead to the NATO summit scheduled in Ankara in July, Francken said his primary expectation was greater defense production and unshakeable allied unity. He issued a stark warning against internal alliance squabbling: "We stand together, or we fall divided. If we keep fighting within the alliance, the only one who wins is Putin and Moscow."
Francken also announced that Belgium, home to the port of Antwerp-Bruges, one of the world's largest, would deploy a minesweeper to the Strait of Hormuz to participate in operations clearing the waterway of mines. He described freedom of navigation as a vital national interest for a country so dependent on maritime trade.
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